Scotland has been dubbed a ‘tech hotspot’ as recent reports reveal demand for jobs is higher here than in the rest of the UK.
Interesting data released last week by professional services firm, Accenture, highlights that while recruitment listings remain well behind pre-pandemic levels, demand for emerging technologies is fueling the jobs recovery here in Scotland.
The findings within the UK Tech Talent Tracker show that Scotland’s tech sector is growing faster than the rest of the UK, with an astonishing 25 per cent rise in demand in the last six months. This figure far exceeds the 10 per cent increase seen in the rest of the UK.
Two of Scotland’s biggest cities are leading the way – Edinburgh saw the largest growth of all UK cities, growing by more than half (51 per cent), followed by Bristol at 48 per cent and then Glasgow at 33 per cent.
It’s very interesting and incredibly exciting to discover that Edinburgh is leaving the rest of Britain in its wake, with demand for skills in emerging technology driving regrowth in the tech job market in the capital.
The tracker shows that in Scotland, demand is driven principally by job openings for artificial intelligence (AI), up 84 per cent, Blockchain, up 125 per cent, and Cloud, up 44 per cent.
As organisations focus on governance and respond to data privacy regulations, jobs in digital ethics and responsibility have also shown a significant increase, with the data demonstrating a 74 per cent rise in demand for governance roles compared to a 27 per cent average across the UK.
The Scottish Government has set out its vision and principles for utilising and developing AI within its AI Strategy which was published earlier this year. It outlines the important part that AI can and will play in transforming the lives of people in Scotland for the better.
The transformative impact of AI is already being demonstrated in Glasgow – just last week it was reported that AI is now being used to help provide life-saving operations for heart patients. It’s the first time that this has ever been done in Scotland.
Patients at NHS Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank who need stents fitted in their heart arteries will now have the procedure performed using guided AI tech. Cardiologists at the hospital carry out planned stent insertion using the new Ultreon 1.0 Software which merges the existing imaging technique of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) – which gives a view inside an artery – with AI for better visualisation, enabling faster, more accurate decisions.
The software speeds up the operation, using infrared lasers and AI to measure how much of the artery is diseased and the size of stent required. This in turn helps ensure stents are more accurately fitted, leading to improved long term health for patients. Fundamentally, this advancement will help to save lives.
The possibilities that lie within this area of tech are extremely exciting. We’re seeing more and more AI startups and scale-ups receive funding across Britain, with a UK Government-backed Applied AI programme recently created to support and accelerate the highest-potential AI scale-ups.
Aberdeen-based technology firm, LiberEat, is one of 32 AI tech scale-ups from across the UK and the only one from Scotland to have been accepted into Tech Nation’s third Applied AI growth programme.
LiberEat bring another important piece of health tech to the market – it helps food producers deliver more accurate information on allergens, and it also has an app which makes it easier for people with special dietary requirements to eat out at restaurants, cook and shop.
Following the turbulence of the global pandemic, it’s fantastic to see a promising Scottish scale-up focusing on making an impact within the world of healthcare and I wish them all the best with their future growth.
According to a second report from job search engine Adzuna, Scottish technology start-ups and scale-ups have raised £446 million in venture capital funding so far this year, which is a record amount for the country.
The future is looking extremely bright for the tech sector in Scotland, and I’m thrilled to see what the future holds, particularly as we rebuild from the disruption of the pandemic.
All aboard Europe’s sleeper train dream
Travel-loving Scots will be thrilled to learn of plans for a new sleeper train which, if realised, will connect Scotland to major European cities including Barcelona, Rome and Paris.
Germany’s Green Party announced plans for a trans-European rail network, which could see Glasgow and Edinburgh connected to cities including Split, Bordeaux and Frankfurt by 2030, according to the ambitious railway map which was unveiled in September.
A total of 40 ‘sleeper services’ would connect cities and tourist hotspots in a bid to offer a more environmentally-friendly alternative to air travel. The German Green Party have outlined in their plans that the proposed rail-service should be affordable and competitive, meeting the low prices of budget airlines.
The plans state that ‘those who travel a little longer to protect the climate should not have to pay extra’ and point to the huge tax advantages of airline companies, who do not have to pay duty on kerosene.
The ambitious plans see the rail-link reaching to every major European city, including Istanbul and St Petersburg, in an effort to lower the number of inter-European flights.
Unsurprisingly, the Scottish Green Party welcomed the proposal with enthusiasm: transport spokesman Mark Ruskell MSP said that it’s ‘clear that the work needed to tackle the climate crisis can’t stop at our borders, and that we need to work with international partners to deliver real change that offers effective alternatives to flying too.’
In theory it sounds fantastic, however the idea will no doubt stop in its tracks before it has even left the station. We just don’t have the infrastructure to facilitate such a service.
So, if hopping on a train in Edinburgh and waking up the next morning in Paris sounds like a dream, unfortunately it will probably remain so for the foreseeable.
It Made Me Weep
I was extremely saddened to see the impact that the current petrol crisis is having on communities, particularly essential workers, across Scotland.
Devastating stories of carers and other essential workers stranded without petrol have filled timelines and headlines across the UK, as a lack of HGV drivers transporting fuel to stations has led to thousands of people panic-buying petrol across the country.
The Royal College of Nursing has had to put out a warning that these fuel supply problems could see patients’ welfare compromised, leading to the organisation backing calls for essential workers to be prioritised as pumps run dry.
As multiple petrol stations including those run by BP, Shell and Sainsbury’s are being forced to close due to shortages, we must come together as a community and act sensibly to ensure that those who need access to fuel most are able to make essential, often lifesaving journeys.
It Made Me Laugh
As summer drifts away, TV is top of the agenda. Several Glasgow hotspots were noted by eagle-eyed viewers as BBC’s new drama Vigil aired its penultimate episode.
The submarine-based drama starring Suranne Jones was partly filmed in Scotland’s biggest city, and it made me chuckle to read along as some locals pointed out discrepancies in the characters’ journeys around the city.
For example, when SA Longacre is filmed driving along the Kingston Bridge and suddenly pulls into leading entertainment destination XSite Braehead – when in reality it’s several miles away.
It seems that Glaswegian viewers are keyboard detectives themselves – perhaps they could give the Vigil detectives a run for their money.
Other local landmarks spotted by viewers included the former City of Glasgow College, Kelvingrove Park and Glasgow Central Station.
